Musical instrument



Feb. 14, 1939. A. ms 2,146,967

MUS ICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Oct. 4, 1937 INVENTOR. A; LEN L 0 oM/s ATTORNEYS,

Patented Feb. 14, 1939 PATENT OFFICE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Allen Loomis, Elkhart, Ind., assignor to C. G. Conn, Ltd, Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application October 4, 1937, Serial No. 167,211

5 Claims.

This invention relates to musical instruments, being particularly applicable to instruments of the type grouped as brasses, and is illustrated as embodied in a comet.

An object of the invention is to shorten the instrument, without sacrificing any of the tone quality, by arranging the tuning slide in a complete loop, the ends of which are arranged beside each other and facing in opposite directions, instead of the U-shaped section in which the tuning slide is usually arranged, thereby adding to the length of the air column in the instrument the full width of the loop, and consequently permitting shortening the length of the instrument somewhat for any given total length of the air column. This involves ofisetting the parts of the instrument body at the base of the loop, as eX- plained below, to bring them alongside each other.

Another object of the invention is to speed up the adjustment of the tuning slide by utilizing an adjusting member (shown as encircled by the above-described loop) having right-and-left threaded engagement with posts mounted to extend toward each other across the loop from the tuning slide and from the instrument body. Important related features have to do with arranging the adjusting member to bind on these posts to preserve the adjustment after tuning is completed, and to provide a brace at the center of the loop clearing the adjusting member.

The above and other objects of the invention, including various novel combinations and desirable particular constructions, will be apparent from the following description of the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a comet provided with my improved tuning means;

Figure 2 is an enlarged exploded view, in elevation, of the tuning means;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a partial horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a partial horizontal section on the line 55 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a partial section on the line 66 of Figure 1.

The cornet illustrated comprises the usually gradually tapered metal tubular body l0 having at one end a bell l2 and at the other end a mouthpiece M, and formed in the usual manner in a looped configuration so that its over-all length is relatively short although it incloses an air column of considerable length. The length of the air column can be varied, to give tones of different pitch, for example by depressing keys l6 which act in the usual manner to connect into the air column adjustable tabular U-shaped slides [8.

The present invention has to do with improving the tuning means, whether of a comet such as is illustrated or of other instruments of this general type. The tuning means comprises a 10 U-shaped tubular tuning slide 20, the sides of which engage telescopically with parallel vertical permanent parts 22 and 24 of the body of the instrument.

Parts 22 and 24 are bent at their lower ends to form elbows having their lower portions facing in opposite directions and extending respectively vertically and horizontally through the top and side walls of a horizontal section 26 of the instrument body.

These lower portions of the elbows 22 and 24 fit closely into the section 26, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, so that section 26 and elbows 22 and 24 and the slide 20 form a complete loop the length of which can be adjusted to tune the in- 25 strument. The lower portion of elbow 24 is offset horizontally, and is arranged beside the section 26 with its end bent and extending through the side wall of section 26, as shown in Figure 5.

Preferably arranged Within the loop formed as 30 just described, I provide improved means for shifting the tuning slide in and out. In the arrangement illustrated, oppositely-threaded vertical posts 30 and 32 extend toward each other, being secured at their outer ends respectively 35 to the section 26 and to the central portion of the tuning slide 20.

These posts are engaged by a vertical rightand-left threaded member having a knurled flange or wheel 34, and also having a cylindrical stem 36 which threads over post 30. The stem 36 passes with substantial clearance through a sleeve 38 formed centrally of a support 40 secured to parts 22 and 24 crosswise of the abovedescribed loop and serving to brace the loop.

The posts 30 and 32 are preferably slightly out of axial alinement with each other, as shown in Figure 3, so that the adjusting member 3436 binds on them, thus preventing any unintended movement of the slide 20 which might change the tuning as well as obviating any possible rattling etc.

It will be seen that turning the adjusting member shifts it axially on the post 36', While at the same time the post 32 with the slide 20 is shifted 55 with respect to the adjusting member, thus making the tuning adjustment very rapidly and positively.

While one illustrative embodiment has been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit the scope of the invention to that particular embodiment, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A musical instrument having a tubular body provided with a telescopic tuning slide, said slide and body having oppositely-threaded posts extending toward each other, and a righteand-l'eft threaded adjusting member threaded on said justing member'- and prevent unintended: movement thereof, said slide andabo'dyi being formed in a loop with teiescopicsides and within which said adj ustingmember is arranged.

3; A musical instrument having a tubular body provided with a telescopictuning slide, said slide and body having oppositely-threaded posts extending toward each other, and aright-and-left threaded adjusting member threaded on said posts and operable to shift said slide to tune the instrument, said posts being slightly out of axial alinement with each other, to bind with said adjusting member and prevent unintended movement thereof, said slide and body being formed in a loop with telescopic sides and within which said adjusting member is arranged, said body having a support extending across said loop and centrally provided with. a sleeve through which passes part of said adjusting member and which support braces said loop.

4. A musical instrument having a body including-za horizontal tubular section, a U-shaped movable tuning slide spaced from and facing toward said: section, and" parallel stationary parts telescopi'cally engaged by the sides of the tuning slide and having a pair of tubular elbows one of which elbows extends-through the top of said section and then has an arcuate portion which bends and fits within said section opening in one direction and the other-of which; elbows has a portion arranged beside said section an-dithenl has another portion extending through the side wall of said section and fitting within said. section opening in the opposite direction and. away: from the first elbow.

5-. A musical instrument'ha'vin g: a body including: a horizontal tubular section, a U-shaped tun ing slide spaced from and facing toward said section, and? a pair of: tubular parts having elbows telescopically engaged by the sides of the tuning slide and which extend through. the wall of said sectionv and then bend and fit within said section facing in: opposite directions: and: away from each other.

ALLEN LOOMIS. 

